Punctularia atropurpurascens in the Villa Ada urban Park in Rome, Italy

The wood-decay saprophytic fungus Punctularia atropurpurascens, a species normally growing in tropical and subtropical zones, has been observed on a marcescent cork oak stump, in a mixed wood composed of cork oaks, pines and holm oaks, in the Villa Ada urban Park in Rome, Italy. P. atropurpurascens, with its striking morphology and purplish colouration, is considered a rare species, also interesting for the biological properties of the chemical molecules it produces. Fungus identity was confirmed by DNA-based analysis

Three new species found in the Bracciano-Martignano Regional Natural Park in Lazio, Italy

We report the finding of three recently described species in late autumn and winter (October to December) in the Bracciano-Martignano Regional Natural Park in Lazio (Italy). The species are Amanita calida, Lepiota elseae and Xerocomellus sarnarii. This is the first record of Lepiota elseae for Italy. The collection site, a Quercus thicket, is located on the slopes of San Bernardino del Malpasso in Trevignano Romano, between Monte Rocca Romana (Sabatini mountains) and the nearby Bracciano Lake. A description of the specimens is given, and a comparison is made with the few descriptions of the ambient available for previous records of the respective species

Metagenomic Characterization of the Human Intestinal Microbiota in Fecal Samples from STEC-Infected Patients

The human intestinal microbiota is a homeostatic ecosystem with a remarkable impact on human health and the disruption of this equilibrium leads to an increased susceptibility to infection by numerous pathogens. In this study, we used shotgun metagenomic sequencing and two different bioinformatic approaches, based on mapping of the reads onto databases and on the reconstruction of putative draft genomes, to investigate possible changes in the composition of the intestinal microbiota in samples from patients with Shiga Toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infection compared to healthy and healed controls, collected during an outbreak caused by a STEC O26:H11 infection. Both the bioinformatic procedures used, produced similar result with a good resolution of the taxonomic profiles of the specimens. The stool samples collected from the STEC infected patients showed a lower abundance of the members of Bifidobacteriales and Clostridiales orders in comparison to controls where those microorganisms predominated. These differences seemed to correlate with the STEC infection although a flexion in the relative abundance of the Bifidobacterium genus, part of the Bifidobacteriales order, was observed also in samples from Crohn's disease patients, displaying a STEC-unrelated dysbiosis. The metagenomics also allowed to identify in the STEC positive samples, all the virulence traits present in the genomes of the STEC O26 that caused the outbreak as assessed through isolation of the epidemic strain and whole genome sequencing. The results shown represent a first evidence of the changes occurring in the intestinal microbiota of children in the course of STEC infection and indicate that metagenomics may be a promising tool for the culture-independent clinical diagnosis of the infection

IRIDA-ARIES Genomics, a key player in the One Health surveillance of diseases caused by infectious agents in Italy

Pathogen genomics is transforming surveillance of infectious diseases, deepening our understanding of evolution and diffusion of etiological agents, host-pathogen interactions and antimicrobial resistance. This discipline is playing an important role in the development of One Health Surveillance with public health experts of various disciplines integrating methods applied to pathogen research, monitoring, management and prevention of outbreaks. Especially with the notion that foodborne diseases may not be transmitted by food only, the ARIES Genomics project aimed to deliver an Information System for the collection of genomic and epidemiological data to enable genomics-based surveillance of infectious epidemics, foodborne outbreaks and diseases at the animal-human interface. Keeping in mind that the users of the system comprised persons with expertise in a wide variety of domains, the system was expected to be used with a low learning curve directly by the persons target of the analyses' results, keeping the information exchange chains as short as possible. As a result, the IRIDA-ARIES platform (https://irida.iss.it/) provides an intuitive web-based interface for multisectoral data collection and bioinformatic analyses. In practice, the user creates a sample and uploads the Next-generation sequencing reads, then an analysis pipeline is launched automatically performing a series of typing and clustering operations fueling the information flow. Instances of IRIDA-ARIES host the Italian national surveillance system for infections by Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) and the surveillance system for infections by Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). As of today, the platform does not provide tools to manage epidemiological investigations but serves as an instrument of aggregation for risk monitoring, capable of triggering alarms on possible critical situations that might go unnoticed otherwise

Rare findings from the chestnut forest of Monte Rocca Romana (Latium, Italy)

We report the identification of both Hydnum ibericum and H. ovoideisporum growing in late autumn, in the woods of Monte Rocca Romana, the highest peak (612 m) of Monti Sabatini, inside the Bracciano-Martignano Regional Natural Park in Latium, Italy. The Park includes large composite zones: the relatively humid climate and the fertile volcanic soils allow the growth of a manifold flora related to the Mediterranean scrub, to the deciduous (Quercus spp.) or chestnut (Castanea sativa) and depressed beech woods. The fungal findings were observed in an area of the Park characterised by a forest composed in prevalence of chestnut trees and underwood of Ilex aquifolium and Ruscus aculeatus. In the same habitat and period, two small fungal species were present: blue coloured Entoloma sp. and Ramariopsis pulchella. The Entoloma sp. belongs to the Cyanula subgenus but combined morphological and molecular criteria did not correspond to any described Entoloma species yet. Ramariopis pulchella is a rare and ecologically important species

Caratteristiche biologiche di Punctularia atropurpurascens durante il suo sviluppo: studio mediante analisi morfologiche e molecolari

In this study, further evidences of the presence of the (sub)tropical Punctularia atropurpurascens in Rome are reported. Besides its generally described saprotrophic behaviour, some of the new-found specimens revealed a parasitic ability of the fungus. Moreover, although reputed a quite rare fungal species in Italy, P. atropurpurascens shows great capacity to develop in its places of manifestation under favourable climatic and environmental conditions. A comparison of morphological and molecular analyses of the fungus under various conditions gives suggestive information on the underlying biology. Furthermore, proton NMR analyses of the biochemical composition of the red drops secreted by the fungus showed the presence of lipids involved in cellular signal transduction pathways as well as phlebiarubrone-related moleculesAbbiamo riportato e descritto in precedenza la presenza del fungo saprotrofo (sub)tropicale Punctularia atropurpurascens nel Parco urbano di Villa Ada a Roma, nel Lazio. In questo studio vengono riportate ulteriori evidenze della sua presenza, due delle quali come parassita, a Roma. Punctularia atropurpurascens sebbene sia reputata una specie fungina abbastanza rara in Italia, nei siti in cui appare ha la capacità di espandersi con facilità, se i fattori climatici ed ambientali sono favorevoli. Una comparazione delle analisi morfologiche e molecolari ha dato informazioni suggestive per la biologia del fungo. Inoltre, analisi di NMR in protone sul contenuto delle gocce rosse secrete dal fungo evidenziano la presenza di molecole relative al phlebiarubrone e di specifici lipidi che sono coinvolti in sistemi di trasduzione dei segnali cellulari

A new species of Agaricus (section Sanguinolenti) from Rome, Italy

We report the finding of an Agaricus specimen in the section Sanguinolenti and describe it as a new species Agaricus hortusdamarum. Based on ITS data, the species is distinct and well separated from all known sequenced species within this section. The type specimen grew in late autumn, under Cupressus sempervirens, near a Pinus pinea alley in the Villa Borghese Gardens in Rome, in Italy. The new species is phylogenetically close to Agaricus iranicus, a rare species of temperate climate, which is so far described only in the Guilan province in Iran. Its morphological characters and phylogenetic pattern are described and divergence from A. iranicus is discussed

Studio di due specie a rischio (Myriostoma coliforme e Battarrea sp.) che condividono lo stesso microhabitat

Specimens of Myriostoma coliforme and Battarrea sp. were found in the same habitat in a cypress-aligned alleyway in the town of Trevignano Romano in the province of Rome, Italy. Furthermore, other specimens of M. coliforme were found in the Villa Ada Urban Park in the city of Rome. Species attribution by morphological features is difficult in Myriostoma and still under investigation in Battarrea and was therefore also assessed by DNA-based analysis. Specifically, the Battarrea sample was found to not belong to the phalloides/stevenii complex. Although both genera are found widely spread, only small and scattered populations exist because their habitats are quite peculiar and in some terms coinciding. In fact, both species are presently relevant for assessment for the future European Red list of endangered macrofungi. The places of discovery could be useful for the study of the environmental and microclimatic aspects for the conservation of these two rare speciesBasidiomi di Myriostoma coliforme e Battarrea sp. sono stati trovati all’interno di uno stradello fiancheggiato da filari di cipressi, nel borgo di Trevignano Romano, in provincia di Roma. Inoltre, altri esemplari di Myriostoma coliforme sono stati raccolti nel parco urbano di Villa Ada, nella città di Roma. L’attribuzione di specie attraverso l’analisi morfologica dei basidiomi del genere Myriostoma è difficoltosa e per il genere Battarrea ancora in fase di indagine, sono state quindi effettuate analisi del genoma sui campioni esaminati in questo studio. Invero, è risultato che il basidioma Battarrea non appartiene alla specie coincidente phalloides/stevenii. Sebbene entrambi i generi siano ampiamenti diffusi, le loro popolazioni sono sporadiche e di piccole dimensioni perché condividono un habitat molto particolare. Tanto è vero che entrambe le specie oggetto di studio sono idonee per la valutazione ai fini dell’inserimento nelle future Red List europee dei funghi minacciati di estinzione. Il luogo di raccolta potrebbe essere utile per lo studio degli aspetti ambientali e microclimatici del loro habitat di sviluppo e, di conseguenza, per la conservazione di queste due rare speci

Metagenomic Characterization of the Human Intestinal Microbiota in Fecal Samples from STEC-Infected Patients

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